Rahul Gandhi tenders unconditional apology to SC in contempt case

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday tendered an unconditional apology to the Supreme Court for wrongly attributing his "chowkidar chor hai" remark to the apex court and sought closure of the contempt proceedings against him.

In a three-page affidavit, Gandhi said he holds the court in "highest esteem and respect".

The Congress chief submitted that he "has never sought or intended to, directly or indirectly, commit any act that interferes with the process of administration of justice".

Gandhi pleaded that the court may "accept the instant affidavit and close the present contempt proceedings".

Senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared for the Congress president, had told a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on April 30 that Gandhi will tender an apology.

The bench had given time till May 6 to the Congress chief for filing a fresh affidavit for attributing the "chowkidar chor hai" remark to the apex court's April 10 Rafale case order.

The court had taken objection to his first affidavit in which he had expressed "regret" (for the attribution of the remark) within brackets.

The case has been filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi.